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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — the season
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — clothes
  10. club — for golf
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com